Posted by Nikoletta Ventseslavova
Continued from Backpack-in-asia-and-australia-costs-and-tips-part-1
AUSTRALIA
Australia is one of the most popular destinations for backpackers. This continent has a unique wildlife and possesses about 36,000 kilometers of beautiful coastline, with 15 World Heritage Listed sites and 3,000 national reserves. Brilliantly mixed with wonderful culture and cosmopolitan cities, Australia is a land of beauty and exciting adventures. In contrast to Asia, Australia is modern, wealthy and everyone speaks English. This continent will offer you amazing experiences, although your travel will be more expensive than the Asian tour.
Major cities:
Sydney in New South Wales, full of vibrancy and buzz, where the most spectacular harbor is situated, is the centrepiece of Australian business and tourism. Among the national symbols of Australia are the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The famous kangaroos and koala bears can be seen at Sydney’s prestigious Taronga Zoo, and no visit to Australia would be complete without a trip to the famous Bondi Beach. This is a perfect destination for music lovers – don’t miss the great Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Festival. These excellent highlights of the city are accompanied with spectacular beaches, incredible food, night life, arts and culture.
Melbourne is the second biggest Australian city. It is famous for hosting great sporting events such as Australian Formula One Grand Prix, Australian Open Tennis, the AFL Grand Final and the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. It is also known as “the garden city” as there are beautiful parks and stunning gardens surrounding the Business District. Tourist attractions found in Melbourne include: the Arts Centre, Carlton Gardens, Crown Casino, Fitzroy Gardens, King’s Domain, Luna Park, National Gallery of Victoria, Royal Exhibition Building, Royal Melbourne Zoo, Shrine of Remembrance, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Southbank on the Yarra River bank and Victoria Barracks.
Adelaide , also known as the “city of churches” is the capital of South Australia. Located on the coast, the area surrounding Adelaide is popular for surfing. The city is attractive with plenty of parks, gardens, wide boulevards and large public squares. It has a spacious and overall, relaxing feel. As Adelaide is close to the wine regions of McLaren Vale, the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley, the city is also an opportune location to make daytrips to the vineyards in the surrounding areas.
Moving north, you should not miss the beautiful Gold Coast in Queensland. Get in touch with striking beaches, interesting theme parks and resorts with breathtaking views. Some of the most popular beaches are: Broadbeach, Currumbin, Kirra and Surfers Paradise. Other attractions here are: Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Turf Club, Lamington National Park, Sea World, Springbrook National Park, Warner Bros, Wax Museum, Wild Water World and of course Australia Zoo. If you need to recuperate after exploring, visit Brisbane – one sunny, friendly and sunny city in Queensland.
Canberra – the capital city of Australia, located to the southwest of Sydney, is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery currently housed at Old Parliament House, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia. Canberra combines city style and remarkable natural beauty. It is famous with its festivals, galleries, embassies, gardens and monuments such as the Anzac Parade, Captain Cook Memorial Jet and Telstra Tower at Black Mountain.
Darwin is Australia’s smallest state capital. It is a good base to explore the surrounding natural attractions including the UNESCO World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. It is attractive with the exotic mixture of Caucasian, Asian and Aboriginal cultures.
Perth is an attractive and calm city in Western Australia. It offers an easy-going lifestyle for visitors to escape from the noisy city life. You will enjoy the fabulous Swan lake and the inner parks such as the Kings Park. Other attractions include: the Aquarium of Western Australia, Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, Perth Zoo, Swan Bells and islands such as: Carnac Island, Garden Island, Penguin Island and Rottnest Island.
Ideas for sights and activities:
Australia’s coastline has fantastic beaches. You can start with Bondi Beach in Sidney and then move to the north, visiting the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast (with the famous Surfers Paradise) with all sorts of aquatic activities and of course, parties. Queensland has the finest beaches and this is also one of a few places where the rainforest meets the beaches and reef and Cape Tribulation and surroundings.
Western Australia has some great beaches around Broome, Coral Bay, Shark Bay and Monkey Mia with supreme activities like dolphin feeding and snorkeling with whale sharks and manta rays.
If you prefer staying in the wild, then you should definitely visit Cape Tribulation – the most northern point of Queensland. It is a part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland where you can take guided rainforest walks.
The Explorer Highway is one of the greatest road trips in Australia. It starts in Adelaide in Port Augusta in the north part of the city. Then it runs across the desserts of South Australia and the Northern Territory and ends in tropical Darwin. Along the way there are many places of interest like Coober Pedy, Alice Springs and Katherine. To enjoy the trip you will need at least 3 to 4 weeks.
Fraser Island is the largest sand island listed in the UNESCO World Heritage – 123 km long and 22 km wide. This place has amazing beauty, sandy beaches and lakes, ancient rainforests, colored rock formations and crystal creeks. The starting point for trips is Hervey Bay. From here you can organize 1-day trips that cover the main highlights. You can also be a part of multi day camping trips that include exploring of the whole island. Hire a 4×4 and explore the island on your own, camping wherever you like.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It stretches for some 2,600 kilometers, comprising 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands.
You can enjoy the Great Ocean Road , one of the world’s most stunning coastal drives, winding along Australia’s southern coast. The highlights of the drive are the Twelve Apostles, the coastal towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay and the rainforests of Great Otway National Park.
Gulf Savannah is a popular area for backpackers in the northwest. It refers to the area from Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory to the west coast of Cape York in Queensland. Most visitors cross this area on their way from the Northern Territory to the east coast of Queensland, or via routes through Mount Isa and Tennant Creek, or by taking the official Savannah Way highway, which heads directly west from Normanton .
The Tasmanian Wilderness is a massive area covering 13,800 km², in South West, Western and Central Tasmania. Many national parks and reserves make up the wilderness area, giving it a great diversity to explore. There are even archeological sites that are over 20,000 years old to be found in some of the limestone caves.
Uluru ,or Ayers Rock is a large sandstone rock in the center of Australia and the country’s most recognizable natural feature. Uluru is part of the larger Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Kata Tjuta is native for the Olga’s, another remarkable feature in this park. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Whitsunday Islands are a collection of beautiful tropical islands located on the coast of Queensland. Most travelers arrive here by sailboat from Airlie Beach – a romantic way to arrive. There are some great sections of reef to explore, by snorkelling or diving, and some fabulous beaches to kick back on including glorious Whitehaven Beach which changes shade as the light passes over. (if you want to save money, wait until the day before and book your trip in Airlie Beach as spare places on boats are often available at huge discounts).
Events and Festivals in Australia:
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Outdoor Music Festivals in Victoria (Australia)
Travel tips and costs:
Start with the visa. Arrange it before your travel, as Australia is very strict with visas. If you are planning a short sight-seeing trip, get a tourist visa. However, the most popular backpacker visa is the Working Holiday visa (its cost is $200), which enables people with age between 18-30 years to travel and work with limitations in Australia, usually for 12-24 months. On the image below you will see the cheapest ways to travel from Europe through Asia and Australia:
Health: There are no required vaccinations for travel to Australia. However, there is one exception – a Yellow fever vaccination – in case you’ve traveled to a country where that disease is prevalent. (It is recommended to have vaccines for DTP, Hepatitis A and B and Japanese encephalitis). Also, make sure that you are well covered on your travel insurance, as medical expenses in Australia will leave you out of pocket. (Australia’s health system is Medicare. Citizens of Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Malta or Italy are entitled to subsidized health services).
Transport: Usually travelers arrive in Australia by plane. There are flights from Europe, Asia, the USA and the rest of Oceania. The biggest airports are :
- Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- Brisbane Airport (BNE)
- Perth Airport (PER)
- Cairns Airport (CNS)
- Adelaide Airport (ADL)
- Darwin International Airport (DRW)
- Gold Coast Airport (OOL)
Quantas is Australia’a national airline, while Virgin Australiais the second biggest carrier. Two of the popular low-cost carriers are Jetstar and Tiger Airways. Plane tickets from US and Europe start from $600. The cheapest time of year is August and September. Anytime after this period prices rise, due to Australia’s popularity as a holiday destination. Experienced travelers recommend buying a ticket 4-6 weeks prior to departure.
Other options for getting around are the backpacker buses like Greyhound buses, which are the cheapest option. However, for those who want to experience the open road and to be independent, it is better to hire a campervan or a car and split the expenses if you are traveling in a group. There are many budget rental companies set up for the backpacker market.
Accommodation: There are many backpacker hostels all over Australia. Some of them are basic, while others are modern and provide all the facilities you could expect from a 2-3 star hotel. Backpacker hostels usually have a shared kitchen and bathroom and some also provide bike hire and surfboard hire. There are also hostels with campsites, which are the cheaper option, if you have a tent. The average price per night in a hostel is around $25. Another option for backpackers who are staying in one place for a longer period is to rent a house or a room in a house, which is cheaper than staying in a hostel. It is good to have a credit card, because most backpacker hostels and tours require a credit card number to secure a booking. Further, it is worth opening an Australian bank account and deposit money in it – this will save you money on overseas withdrawal fees. (you need to have an Australian address to open a bank account)
Australia is well set up for independent travelers, so with a student, YHA or other backpackers’ card you can find discounts on transport or accommodation. The Australian market is highly competitive and you can find real bargains. If you are on a budget, then you will need at least $60 per day and that is in case you are cooking most of your food. If you are a midrange traveler hiring a car, seeing sights, staying in hotels and hostels and enjoying fabulous food, then you will need between $110-160 per day, depending on the city or area you are visiting.
Read also:
Backpack in Asia and Australia – costs and tips, part 1
A List of Vacation Destinations by Season
The best holiday location for your needs
Save money on a vacation with clever budget tips
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